Lost and Found
by rohanyoshi
Summary: A story with Tauriel and Legolas in the Lord of the Rings! What happens when Legolas loses something important to him on the epic quest that we all know? Caution: LOTR spoilers & slight plot changes to the real story. This story was originally a Hobbit classified story, but I switched due to some questions. Sorry I can't put Tauriel up there too.
1. Horse Malfunction

**AN: I realize that some of the elf-horse relationship in the stories may be confusing at times. It is not a romantic bond. We shall start where the Fellowship begins. Legolas and Tauriel will accompany Aragorn to Bree. All respect to Mr Tolkien. This is also in the movie world, with some book-based items. Some events will not be in either. I used the Angelfire elvish translator. The events in the books/movies may be altered.**

I had known Tauriel for many years. She was my only friend among many elves at my disposal. I was entitled to whatever I wished, as Prince of Mirkwood. The only thing I ever asked of her was to be my friend. She was a Captain of the Guard until she denied my father's orders and went after the dwarves. Now she is only Tauriel, the Prince of Mirkwood's only friend. Sometimes I wonder if she regretted her choice to travel with me to find Strider.

"Legolas!" Aragorn said, striding toward me. I turned from gazing out across the lands, searching for anything that moved. He was clothed in the usual Ranger's garb- simple yet very effective in the weather that they lived in. "Gandalf has arrived with a message. He wants us to travel to Bree to watch over four hobbits when they arrive and accompany them to Rivendell."

"Hobbits?" I asked. I only knew one hobbit. Bilbo Baggins was one of the company sixty years ago, traveling with the dwarf king, Thorin. "What business do they have in Rivendell? Have they violated the elf law, somehow?"

"No. They carry a ring. A very powerful ring. One that Sauron will stop at nothing to seize once more." Aragorn replied sharply. "I am asking you to travel with me."

"Is this at Gandalf's request?"

"I am sure that he would never prevent you from coming. He trusts you and Tauriel." Aragorn answered. It made sense. Gandalf had known me ever since I ran into him during the Battle of the Five Armies. We had exchanged pleasantries and then parted, but I never forgot the words that he had said to me. They were wise words, filled with meaning that I knew I could not ignore if the time came.

_"Tauriel?" _I repeated. "He has never spoken to Tauriel. He does not know of her personality, her hotheadedness, or her lack of common sense." I regretted the words almost at once. All of those traits had saved me once. More than once in the forest.

"I trust her, and I know you do too. It should be enough for him." Aragorn finally said. "Pack your things and find Tauriel. We ride at dawn." I bowed my head and strode away to find the fiery haired elf that I called friend.

* * *

I saddled my horse. There was a special bond between an elf and their horse, one that none of us could explain. We felt the horse's pain as much as they felt ours. When the horse was hurt, we felt it deep inside. But when the elf was injured, the horse would show the exact injury in the exact place the elf had received it. It would be about a split second between the real injury and the horse's injury. The horse was bonded to us, and therefore, they lived as long as we lived. When the rider died, then the horse would, too. If the horse died, the rider would be consumed by almost unbearable pain. They would not die, but they would be left with a deep, emotional scar. I hoped that Mori Val and I would never go through that.

"When will the hobbits arrive?" Tauriel asked, swinging up onto her own horse. I looked over at her. She was silhouetted in moonlight, but I could still see the flaming red hair that was so unique to her. No other elf had as vibrantly red hair as she did.

"Hopefully the night after we arrive." Aragorn replied. Elen Dome, Tauriel's horse, whinnied. I knew that both horse and ride were anxious to be going. I mounted my horse and without a word, we kicked our horses into motion, flying fluidly over the plains and through forests. It was midday when we arrived at Bree.

Tauriel and I pulled our hoods over our ears and we strode into the Prancing Pony. Aragorn went to reserve us rooms while Tauriel and I scanned the room for any signs of the hobbits, or other things that we didn't want to run into. I had the sudden urge to clasp Tauriel's hand, but I knew she would immediately shun me away. She hated all contact now- I thought it was because of her first tragedy- Kili.

"See any hobbits?" I asked her.

"Nothing." she replied. Aragorn returned to us and he led us up to where our room was. It was right across from another, but no one was inside. I lit the candles and we all sat there for a few minutes. Tauriel was very still, and I knew she was listening.

"I'm going downstairs." Aragorn said abruptly. Tauriel rose to follow him.

"Stay here." he ordered. "I need you two to keep an eye out for the hobbits. Warn me if there are any signs of danger." Tauriel nodded. I watched Aragorn leave and then I turned to Tauriel to plan our tactics.

"You watch the road. I'll stand watch on the roof." There was no point in standing guard over our room- anything important was with us, and our horses were safely locked in the Prancing Pony's stable.

"Wait for a half hour on the road, then we'll return here." Tauriel suggested. I inclined my head. I knew it was her way of making sure that I wasn't dead. Despite her lost position as Captain of the Guard, I knew her first instinct was to protect me.

I waited for a half an hour and then picked my way back to the room. I had seen no sudden movement, nor heard any clip-clop of the Nazgul's horses. Tauriel was late, and I was beginning to worry when she returned.

"The hobbits arrived. They are pursued by the Nine." she said. I walked over to the window. I could see the dark shapes moving on the road outside. Tauriel wrung out her cloak and stared at me, her eyes filled with worry.

"There is no way that our horses can outrun the animals of Mordor." she told me. "If we're cornered, then we will surely die."

"Mori Val and Elen Dome would rather die than be cornered by one of those fell beasts." I said firmly. "They will never get close to us, not while we are still together. Not while we have Aragorn. I will not let us die before reaching Rivendell."

"You may not let us, but perhaps they will not let us slip through their fingers." Tauriel said slowly. "They are cunning. They have the orcs and the goblins on their side. Who is to say that this is our last battle, Legolas? When it is over, which one of us will die?"

"Neither will die, but live to see the end of this evil." I replied. Tauriel was begin stubborn and she knew it. Yet there was truth to her words. We did not have servants to bend to our will, nor would we ever force anyone to join our cause. It was our fight and ours alone.

"If it would come, I would rather you live rather than I." Tauriel said almost too quiet for me to hear. I gave no indication that I had heard her. I didn't want to hear it, and I knew she would stop at nothing to keep me alive, even if it meant that she didn't.

* * *

Aragorn burst through the door of the room herding four, ragged, wet hobbits. They all looked slightly awed and anxious at the sight of Tauriel and I. Aragorn extinguished all the candles in the room, leaving the crack under the door to be the only source of light. He shoved the hobbits into the bed.

"What are you doing?" the fattest hobbit asked. "Who are you? Why are we in the dark?"

"We are in the dark so that the Nine will not kill you this night!" Aragorn snarled. "You were too reckless. There were spies in that tavern tonight, and the Nine are coming as we speak. You must stay quiet."

"Who are they?" the darkest haired one asked. "The elves?"

"Their names are not important, not now." Aragorn responded. _"Se ego! Q'nor an Rivendell, Legolas." _I nodded. I could see Tauriel immediately stiffen. I ran my hand along her cheek with my finger. We could see in the dark, and I saw her eyes glisten with tears.

"I will come back." I told her. The hiss of steel, and Tauriel murmured a few words in Elvish. They were words that made an object unbreakable and unable to be lost by whoever she wanted. Then she placed a bracelet of what I thought was rope.

"Goodbye, my prince." she whispered. Then I was gone.

* * *

I obeyed Aragorn and rode to Rivendell. I warned Arwen, Elrond's daughter, to meet Aragorn at the river entering Rivendell. I returned to the forest, and waited for sign of Sam, Merry, Pippin, Frodo, Aragorn, and Tauriel. I hoped that they would arrive all together. First I heard the sound of one, single rider. Then, suddenly, there was a stampede of horses. I still clenched in my hand the rope that Tauriel had given me. I was sure that it held some importance. I mounted my horse and chased the noise. I was relieved at first to see Tauriel's streaming red hair, flying behind her as she raced to the river. Then I noticed the small hobbit mounted in front of her and the urgency of which she rode. There were eight riders behind her, cloaked in black. I knew my arrows would do nothing to them. I considered distracting them, but where would I go? No. Elen Dome was faster than the other horses, I was sure. Tauriel urged her horse on in Elvish. She drew nearer the forge. I knew she could see Arwen waiting.

Suddenly, something whistled out of nowhere. A horse reared in front of Tauriel's horse, who reared. Tauriel's eyes met mine as she hurtled to the ground. I instinctively raced out on Mori Val and hoisted the prone form of Frodo onto my horse. When Frodo was settled, I glanced around for Tauriel. A black rider had her by the throat. Her eyes were terrified, but she could do nothing. Then the rider lifted her in front of him and all nine riders vanished. I sat there, shocked. Tauriel was gone. Elen Dome pawed nervously at the ground. I seized her empty reins and galloped to Arwen. We switched burdens. I rode back to where Tauriel had fallen. There were only scuff marks to be proof of Tauriel's landing, and only hoof-prints to stand for the dark enemy that had captured her. I wanted to find her. I kicked Mori Val into action and we followed the nine into the darkness.

I rode to Weathertop. There was only trampled grass to show any sign of the rider's passing. Tauriel was gone. There were many places she could be now. She could be halfway to Mordor. They could have taken her to Angmar. The Lonely Mountain. Anywhere. Perhaps even to Saruman, who was corrupted and was no longer our ally. My friend was missing. My hand loosened from the reins and something fell to the hard-packed ground. I bent over and picked it up.

A braid. It wasn't a rope, as I had first thought. It was red in color, with my father's leaf seal keeping the braid in a single loop. I put it on, and then, tentatively, put the blade of my knife on it. I ran it up and down, but the braid didn't break. I knew what Tauriel had done. In Bree, she had enchanted the bracelet so that it would never fray, never age, and never be able to be lost or destroyed. In a sense, it was like the Ring of Power. But it was hers. She had never willingly cut her hair. Only when it reached to her knees would she cut it so that it hung to her lower back. I didn't know when she had cut it. Perhaps in the very room with me, in the dark. I clutched the bracelet to my chest.

"I will find you, Tauriel."

* * *

**AN: Ooh, cliffhanger. Sorry 'bout that. R&amp;R, please.**


	2. Paralleled Time

**UPDATES! WOOOOO! Time for Tauriel! Not 1st POV, sorry. Italics are Tauriel's position, regular is Legolas.**

* * *

_The horses raced across the barren landscape. One rider bore a limp figure of an elf. They skidded to a halt in front of a tall, pointed building. If the elf had been conscious, she would have recognized the place. As it was, the elf was not. The horses dashed into the stables. The rider dismounted and lifted the elf off the saddle. Her head lolled to the side. The elf's bow, arrows, and knifes were somewhere near the river where she had been thrown from her horse. _

_"Where do we take this elf-spawn?" one of the riders growled._

_"I say we torture her." another said. "The orcs will surely be looking for the location of the Dark Lord's ring. We have other things to do besides injure the she-elf." All nodded their approval and the first rider carried the elf upstairs and laid her on a crude, wooden table. They searched her for hidden weapons, but found none. She looked utterly defenseless lying there. The rider motioned for an orc to blow the horn for three orcs to enter the darkly lit chamber._

_"Elf!" one of the orcs snarled. "Why have you brought this filth here?"_

_"We want you to torture her for information on the Ring." a rider snarled in the Black Tongue. "You will report anything she says to us. You may injure her, but try not to kill her. If she should give us the information we need, we will release to go limping back to her elf friend. If she loses conscious, then you will not harm her until she sees your blade descend."_

_"Morghul poison?" the first orc asked._

_"If you deem it necessary." The nine swept from the room, leaving the elf alone with four vicious orcs._

* * *

_Darkness fell and the elf awoke. She gazed around her, her eyes and ears alert for any sign of life. Hearing none or seeing none from her position on the table, she sat up. Immediately she found an orc looming in front of her, his teeth bared menacingly. Her hand reached for where her bow would be, but her hands grasped at empty air._

_"Planning something, she-elf?" the orc snarled. "You're going nowhere. You'll be giving us information. Then you'll go somewhere. If you don't give us what we want, you'll be going somewhere, too. To the open embrace of death."_

_"What do you want of me?" the elf asked bravely. "I have nothing."_

_"We want to know what you were doing with four hobbits and a man." a one-eyed orc asked. "No elf ever travels with hobbits, unless they're up to no good. Who were they? What were their names?" The elf narrowed her eyebrows._

_"It's not of your business, orc!" she snarled. "Go back to where you came from."_

_"Oh, my dear elf. This IS where I came from. You have the greatest honor to be in the castle of the Witch-King." One-eye said gleefully. The elf's eyes widened. "Know that place, elf? Heard of the torture stories? The slaves?"  
_

_"I have heard nothing." she answered coolly, but her eyes gave her away._

_"Tell us now, or we'll make the torture stories reality!" One-eye demanded. The elf closed her eyes. She did not reply. The orcs gave her a minute, and then conversed. The elf seemed to not hear what they were planning. When a scarred orc approached her, her eyes remained closed. Suddenly, she moved, swiping the ax from Scar-face's hands. The other three immediately went into action. A knife flew across the room and embedded itself in the elf's back. Her eyes opened wide in surprise. The elf let out a gasp of pain._

_"I am sorry, my prince." Tauriel said, before she was encased in darkness once more._

* * *

**_AN:_ The paralleled time is that Legolas's mother was killed in Angmar... I though it would be an interesting story dynamic for Tauriel to be taken to Angmar.**


	3. Council & Hobbits

**The next part of the story arrives! Legolas this time. Dialogue is not accurate, so my apologies in advance.**

* * *

I returned to Rivendell feeling dejected and disappointed in myself. Aragorn seemed to be too busy to pay me any attention, and no one inquired after Tauriel. I could not believe that Aragorn had forgotten one of his friends, and that no one else seemed to bother. For many days I watched Elen Dome. Every day there was no sign of hurt on the horse, for which I was glad. I didn't want to see any harm come to Elen Dome, since the horse showed all of Tauriel's hurts as well.

"My lord Legolas?" one of the Rivendell elves asked. "Lord Aragorn requests your presence at the Council immediately." I nodded. I shouldered my bow and took the long, green Council robe from the closet. The room had been provided by Elrond. I sheathed my knives and walked to the place where the meeting would take place.

Many dwarfs were there. I immediately disliked them, but then remembered how Tauriel accepted all of them, in the end. Could they really be as bad as my father taught me? I knew that sometimes, my father was wrong. He constantly drilled into me that Sylvan elves were lazy, arrogant, and untrustworthy. Then Tauriel came to Mirkwood, and even he had to readjust his thoughts on their race of elves. There was also Aragorn, and Boromir from Gondor. I sat down in front of the other elves who came.

"Welcome, friends." Elrond said. "I have summoned you to discuss the fate of the One Ring. Gandalf approached me about how it has come into the possession of Frodo of the Shire, relative of Bilbo Baggins. The servants of Sauron have gained information regarding the Ring and had sent the Nine to the Shire to find Frodo. Luckily, they had set out for Bree by then." I narrowed my eyes. I knew that Elrond had left out the part about the Nine capturing Tauriel. Then again, he was not familiar with my father's captain of the guard.

"The journey is not yet over." I said finally. "They will track the ring, and as long as they have information, they will be able to pry more out of other people. We cannot just leave it here. Rivendell would be in great danger."

"What else is there to do? Take it to a remote mountain and place guards over it? He would still find it, or kill whoever killed it before it even reached the mountain." Gandalf interrupted.

"The eagles could take it." suggested a redheaded dwarf. No, not redheaded. Tauriel was a redhead. This dwarf was more... rust colored. "Hide it in their nests and never let it be seen again until we have dealt with the dark lord."

"No." Boromir said. "It is a gift. We must use it to fight this battle against Sauron!" He emphasized his words with a raised fist. "It was made to give the wearer power. Why not keep it and destroy his armies with its great power?"

"That's it!" Aragorn exclaimed. "Destroy it. Throw it into the fires of Mount Doom and banish it from the world."

"You cannot simply walk into Mordor and toss the Ring in!" Boromir shouted.

"You do not know who you are speaking to! He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn." I said, standing up. Boromir spoke to Aragorn as if he was a lowly Ranger, but what I knew was very different. Aragorn was destined to lead Gondor as the new King. I would not tolerate it, even if I was angry at him for forgetting Tauriel.

"But who would take it?" Elrond asked. Everyone rose at once, bickering like schoolchildren. The dwarf seemed to think he could do it with brute force. I thought otherwise. I was correct about dwarves. They were thickheaded and idiotic. Even I knew that the Ring would have to be taken into Mordor by stealth.

"I will take it!" Frodo shouted, springing up from behind a plant. Frodo. The hobbit that Tauriel was captured for. The one that my best friend could die for. I would not let him go alone, but I would not do it unless other people would help. I wanted to leave mid-quest and find Tauriel, and bring her home. Heal her heart, and then her mind. Then tell her what I really considered her as. What I really felt.

"And I will help!" Aragorn announced. I bowed my head.

"You have my bow." I told Frodo. The dwarf immediately narrowed his eyebrows.

"And MY ax!" he exclaimed loudly, ruining the moment.

"Gondor will see it done." Boromir added. Gandalf put his hand on Frodo's shoulder. The other three hobbits rushed in, too, and I knew that this would be no small affair. There was a slim chance that we would not achieve this by stealth.

* * *

I was in for a surprise when I reentered the stable to saddle Elen Dome. I was taking her with me. I wanted to monitor Tauriel's horse and keep it safe, and Elen Dome was very swift. But if Tauriel was hurt badly, Elen Dome would be useless. I would still defend the horse, because I knew that Tauriel's pain if she returned would be horrible to witness.

"Legolas?" the hobbit called Merry asked. "How did your horse get wounded?" He motioned to where I was about to put the saddle blanket on. I did a double take and realized that Elen Dome had a small, dark wound, about the size of a knife.

"It's not my horse." I said carefully. My heart was racing. Tauriel had been hurt. I wasn't sure how badly, but it was probably a knife in the back... somewhere she was fighting for her life, and I had not gone after her.

"Then why are you stealing it?" Merry demanded.

"I'm not stealing the horse!" I protested. "It is my friend's." Merry eyed me suspiciously. I could tell that he didn't believe me. That was probably true. I was saddling a horse that wasn't mine, and it had a wound on the back that I could not explain. To him, wouldn't explain.

"So if I find this 'friend' and bring them the horse, then they will say that they gave you permission to ride it places?" Merry asked.

"I'm taking care of it for her." I told him. "When she comes back, I'll return it." Merry glared at me. I stroked the mane of Elen Dome and sighed.

"Look, master hobbit, elvish horses are a matter that you would not understand. I suggest you stay out of it before you get confused." I said harshly. I knew the hobbit had done nothing to deserve my anger, but I was scared for Tauriel.

"I can keep up." insisted Merry."

"Prove to me that you can and then I'll tell you." I replied. I began to lead Elen Dome out of the stables and Merry jogged after me.

"Please, I want to know. I was only curious. I didn't want to offend you, Legolas." he pleaded. I turned back around and sighed. I knew that sometimes it was easier to share hurts with someone, but I had not been planning on sharing my concerns with a hobbit. At the same time, I knew that Tauriel would not allow me to hold prejudices against race. She had taught me more than she realized about our land and the people in it.

"My friend is named Tauriel." I told him. "She was the redheaded elf in Bree." Merry nodded. I watched him for any signs of recognition.

"The elf that gave you that bracelet." Merry said, motioning toward Tauriel's gift that I wore on my wrist. I raised my eyebrows.

"How did you know?" I asked him. I knew it was too dark for a hobbit to see in that room, and I had been sure that we were being quiet. And yet Merry guessed correctly, and I needed to know why. Perhaps I should give hobbits more credit in the future.

"It's the same color as her hair." he answered. "I thought that you were pledged to each other." My heart clenched. No, we weren't. I wished it were true, but Tauriel had always seemed so distant that I had never asked her.

"We're friends, nothing more." I said.

"I'm sorry for interrupting. Please continue." Merry finally said. I took a deep breath. I was about to open my heart toward a hobbit I barely knew. I didn't know if he would betray me to Aragorn or the dwarf. Even the other hobbits. But I decided that I trusted the small halfling.

"Tauriel was sent to bring Frodo to the Rivendell border. While she was riding, the Nine approached. This horse was scared. It reared and threw Tauriel off. I was close enough to grab Frodo before he was taken by the Nine. When I looked back, she had been pulled onto a horse and all of them raced away. I delivered Frodo and rode after them until Weathertop."

"I thought she had made it." Merry said. "Frodo was here. I just thought that she was somewhere else, doing other things."

"No. She was taken by the Nine, and she has not yet returned." I answered. I looked closer at the wound on Elen Dome. It was relatively clean, which was good. Merry watched me in silence, and then he finally spoke.

"You still haven't explained the horse." he said.

"Elven horses have a bond toward their owner, and vice versa. If the horse is injured, the elf feels it, and they feel hurt emotionally. If the elf is injured, the horse will get the same wound in around the same place. When the elf heals, the horse will, too." I explained as simply as possibly. Merry absorbed the facts thoughtfully.

"So that wound is not the horse's? It's Tauriel's?" he asked.

"Yes."

"I am so very sorry, Legolas. I hope that she comes back to you soon." Merry told me. He seemed sincere. I did not regret telling him about Tauriel. It was a relief to share the burden with someone.

* * *

**Is the horse thing too confusing?**


	4. Blood Red Snow

**AN- This is Merry's perspective.**

* * *

I had never met an elf, man, dwarf, or wizard before, so it was a shock to me when I joined the Fellowship of the Ring. I had been curious to know what an elf did when he wasn't shooting arrows. I followed Legolas Greenleaf to the stables. I was surprised that he actually went to the stables- I thought elves just used horses as working animals, and they didn't care for their steeds. I didn't know that the redheaded elf had been taken captive while taking Frodo here to Rivendell. I had just thought that she was busy doing other things. Perhaps serving in the court. Legolas explained the horse connection to me after I accused him of injuring the the redheaded elf's- Tauriel's- horse, when in reality, it was the elf who was injured.

"Merry?" my friend Pippin asked. "We're leaving tomorrow morning. Aragorn says to pack our belongings and prepare for the road." I nodded and continued to stare out at the magnificent scenery of Rivendell. I still never understood why elf lands seemed to flow so much more gracefully together than Hobbiton.

* * *

The next morning, I wasn't surprised to see Legolas leading a white mare out from the stables. It wore no saddle and the knife wound was carefully bandaged. I saw a few members of the company exchange confused looks, but I understood. He wanted to keep a piece of his friend with him wherever he went. He wanted to know if she died. I was suddenly struck by how gloomy it sounded, to keep a horse to see if it's owner died. And yet I felt deep sympathy for the elf. I tried to put myself into his shoes. Pippin had vanished. He had been hurt. I had no way except for a horse to know if he lived or died.

"Are we all set?" Boromir asked grumpily. "It's taken you long enough to pretty that horse up, Legolas." The elf remained stonily silent, staring straight ahead as if he had not heard the Gondor man's snide remark. We set off, leaving the beautiful elvish city. I wondered if Legolas felt at home there. I walked beside Pippin, and the graceful elven buildings and structures slowly melted into harsher landscapes.

We trekked on for days, and I grew closer to my companions each day. I learned of Gimli and his odd Dwarven customs, and of Boromir's father, the Steward of Gondor. Aragorn was a Ranger, and Legolas was the prince of another elven place called Mirkwood. Frodo and Sam were as closely knit as Pippin and I. Slowly we began to walk uphill, and the terrain grew thin and the plants were scrawny. It was a huge contrast from the Shire. Soon we passed the tree line. I felt curiously vulnerable as the air got thinner and nothing prevented us from being seen from the air. Soon the air grew cold and there was snow on the ground.

As the incline of the slope grew, I found myself lagging behind the rest. Legolas and the horse tread lightly and were soon ahead of all of the rest of us. I envied the light-footed elf and his ability to stay up on the snow. It was nearly impossible to keep my footing. The snow was up to my knees soon enough. I heard a slight commotion and turned. Frodo had dropped his ring. Boromir turned to give it to him, and he and Aragorn exchanged a few sharp words. Then we continued. The snow seemed to stretch endlessly upwards. I grew tired.

Soon it grew darker and we trudged through waist-deep snow. The weather grew more foul and I could hear someone shouting into the wind. Legolas hurried ahead to check, and a gust of wind nearly blew me off the mountain. I guessed that it would be night soon, but there was no hint of shelter anywhere. Gandalf's hat was covered in snow. The cliff began to break under us.

"We must go through the mines!" Gimli shouted over the roaring wind. I looked over at Gandalf. His face darkened at the mention of the mines.

"The Gap of Rohan!" Boromir suggested. "It would be safer, and less difficult."

"Saruman guards the Gap of Rohan! We would never make it!" Aragorn shouted back. Gandalf let out a big sigh and turned to Frodo. I did, too. I knew that it was Frodo's quest, and he should decide.

"We make for the mines." Frodo decided. Suddenly, the horse's scream of agony cut through the air. Blood ran down the white horse's back. Legolas stroked the horse's face soothingly and murmured to it in elvish. In addition to the knife wound on the horse's back, there were now many lash marks, too.

* * *

**AN: Sorry for the inacuracies of the story. I'm taking the freedom of writing here. Let me know if I missed any important events in the film- I'm doing it from memory.**


	5. Fire Descending

**AN: From the perspective of Tauriel, 3rd person. I won't always have characters be in 1st.**

* * *

Pain. It was all she knew. Her world was an abyss of red-hot tongues of fire, endlessly burning. Nothing would quench the stinging pain of the whip's dangerous lash. There was nothing she could do except hope that something would put it out. But there was no one to help. No one to stop the heat radiating from the eighteen strokes that the orcs had laid upon her back. The knife wound paled in comparison to the now scarlet lines upon Tauriel's back. As she lay on her now familiar table, she bitterly wondered what Legolas was doing. No- she mustn't even think any of their names. She would give it away. Tauriel knew that she could never betray her friends, but now, she somewhat regretted her descision. Would it have been worth it, to spare herself from this unbearable pain? In a haze, she watched a tale, thin figure approach her through a red haze.

"Tauriel." the voice said. "You have been so brave." Tauriel gazed in wonder at this strange figure. It looked like an elf, but she knew that there were no elves in Angmar. The figure had golden locks that were straight like Legolas's. Her hair was tied back with a simple leaf design at the side.

"Who are you?" Tauriel gasped.

"I was like you once. Spirited. Happy. No longer." the elf replied. "I went from this world long ago, and now I come to you."

"Am I dead, then?" Tauriel asked. She felt a quiet resign take her over. At least when she was dead, she wouldn't give any information about Legolas or the four hobbits. She would be reunited with Kili at last. There would be no more pain. No more suffering. She would never know the pain of losing another loved one.

"No." the elf replied. "My name is Ellerian." Tauriel frowned. Something probed in her memory. Ellerian. Something was important about this elf. She looked over Ellerian's features again. Blonde hair and hazel eyes. She looked remarkably like...

"Legolas." Tauriel said. "You're his mother. But you're dead. I can't see dead people. I must be!"

"You are not dead, Tauriel. Neither am I, in a way." Ellerian repeated. "I came bearing a message from someone you know well. He would like to tell you something important." Tauriel frowned. Who? There was no way that Ellerian could have reached Legolas... unless he was dead, too.

"The message is not from my son." Ellerian told her, seemingly reading Tauriel's mind. "It comes from someone else you have loved. Kili the dwarf. He says that you are not to give up, no matter how hard they torture you. You cannot leave Legolas yet. You still have a duty on this world, and you will not leave before it is done."

"You've spoken to Kili?" Tauriel asked, a deep feeling of grief growing in her heart. She missed him. He had been a good friend. He was kind, caring, loyal, and brave. She had loved him once, but then they were brutally ripped apart by the orcs. Once again, Tauriel was separated over a long barrier from another she loved. Legolas.

"In passing." Ellerian replied.

"Can you take some of the pain away?" Tauriel asked, a tear running, unbidden, down her cheek. Ellerian wiped it off with her soft sleeve.

"I cannot. It is yours to bear, Silvan elf, until the end of your days. Nothing will relieve it." Ellerian said gently. Tauriel wilted. She did not know if she could take the pain for any more days, let alone the rest of her life, however short it could be.

"Will you bring a message to Legolas?" Tauriel asked.

"I can only appear in places that I have been. I have never been to the Mines of Moria." Ellerian replied, and turned on her heel. She vanished into the red haze once more. Suddenly, the pain was back, flaring up like a newly lit flame. Tauriel was alone. It was like a dream. The absence of pain had been like a dream. Tauriel later thought that it probably had been.

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**AN: Sorry that the last two chapters have been so short. Tauriel's will be the shortest of all of them, since it's very difficult to write scenes like this while making it long.**


	6. No One

**AN: I'm going to take some twists on the story here. Some of the chapters will be told in Eowyn's perspective even before the Fellowship arrives. This will be the first of Eowyn's chapters, told in 3rd person.**

* * *

Eowyn was afraid. Normally she would never be frightened in her own home, or in her own country. But now, with Grima Wormtongue serving the King, Eowyn was unsettled. She didn't like the man who was greasy haired, dressed in black, and pale. She was pale, too, but Grima had an odd, slimy texture to him. Eowyn also knew that he desired her more than anything else. She did not know that she was his promised treasure.

She missed her faithful brother, Eomer, who guarded her doggedly and refused to let Grima within three feet of her. But he had been banished by her own uncle. Eowyn was utterly alone in the dark halls of Meduseld, left with only her corrupted uncle and his greasy servant. Eowyn longed to be out on the plains with Eomer, but there was no choice for her. She was bound by duty and honor. She could not leave the halls without the consent of the King. Now it was more the consent of Grima rather than the permission of her uncle. Eowyn knew that Grima was keeping her close to him. He would not let her run away.

A lady needed someone faithful to lean on. Someone who understood her, adored her, and treasured her. They needed to be someone who Eowyn could love not only as a family member, but as a suitor as well. There was no one in Rohan that she desired. Eowyn wanted a man who was strong, handsome, and brave. A man of adventure. A man of honor and valor. No one in Rohan fit her requirements. Men had tried many times to gain Eowyn's heart, but it remained frosty and aloof. Eowyn yearned for the comfort that a husband would give her. Her uncle, Theoden King, had been a valuable confidante until Grima had arrived in Edoras. Now she had no one to confess her utmost fears to.

Eowyn wished that adventure would come her way. There was no chance that she would be able to find it herself. If she did, Eowyn knew that there would be nobody left to take the throne if Grima corrupted her uncle. She could feel that knowledge weigh down on her like a heavy sack of flour.

"My lady Eowyn?" a guard asked. Eowyn was outside, her hair flowing freely in the harsh winds of Edoras. She turned and the guard bowed politely. She tried to feel some sort of spark for the young man who had come to her, but she felt nothing. "Prince Theodred has passed."

The world spun at Eowyn's feet. Her mind went reeling as the handsome young man reached out an arm to steady her. Theodred. Her cousin. She had expected the news for quite some time. In the darkness of her heart, she had hoped that Theodred would live to look after her and care for her. Now he was gone, as absolutely as her mother and father were gone. Eowyn did not even know if Eomer still lived. Her uncle was not himself.

"My lady?" the guard asked. "Are you alright?" Eowyn shook off his arm and swallowed. They faced each other. They were both fair-haired and blue eyed. Most in Rohan were. They could have been siblings. Eowyn could even see some hints of her brother in the young guard.

"I'm fine." she said stiffly. She wrenched open the doors to Meduseld and hurried to her cousin's room

* * *

Eowyn had never seen Theodred's room in such order. Not a speck of dust lay on any surface of the room. She could just make out the prone figure lying in Theodred's bed. She paused in the doorway, hesitating. The room was utterly silent. There was no sign of life in Theodred. Surely he would have acknowledged her presence. Eowyn hoped that the guard had been lying. Perhaps he, too, were in league with Grima. Eowyn stepped softly into the room and knelt besides Theodred's bed. Her white gown pooled at her feet.

"Theodred." she whispered. No movement. Eowyn touched his face and brushed the hair from her cousin's eyes. "Theodred." Eowyn's heart clenched and she choked down a sob. Her cousin was truly dead. She had not believed it. Death was drawing closer. Eowyn almost wished that she could allow it to embrace her in its cold, stiff arms and keep her away from sorrow. She allowed a tear to drip from her eyes. Then another. And another.

She was suddenly aware of a presence behind her. She whirled around and was met with the ugly face of Grima. He closed in to her. She could smell his hot, dank breath and could feel it on her neck as he taunted her about her cousin. The closeness disgusted her. Grima ran his hand on the hollow of her neck and she shivered. His hands were hot on her throat. She could almost imagine someone else being in his place- someone fair and handsome. Someone who loved her. Then she remembered who it was that was touching her.

"Your words are poison." she snapped, and swept from Theodred's bedchamber.

* * *

Her own room was a bittersweet place to Eowyn. It was a place of comfort, of stories by the fire and of hot drinks before bed. It was also a place of deep sadness. She had wept for her parents in that bed, cried about the losses that people in Edoras had obtained. And now she was crying. Not only for Theodred, but for the man that she wished she could find. The one who would have been there for her when she was being seduced by Grima. A man who would have charged to her cousin's defense, or better, healed him of his wounds. The man who would hold her in his embrace, kiss her with tender lips, and comfort her until she was asleep. Eowyn desired it. The love of a man. Something to share. But there was no one, and Eowyn would have no chances for what she wished.

Little did she know that there were many opportunities in store.

* * *

**AN: I realized as I was finishing this chapter that the Fellowship is still going through the mines at this point, and these events are Two Towers events. I'm sorry for the mistake, but I think that the events could have been more spaced out and the Rohan characters introduced earlier in the movies.**

**Please vote on a happy ending or a sad ending for Tauriel and Legolas. I have weighed the choices and can't decide, so I'll write the ending most of you want.**


	7. Backstabber

**Today we will travel to the Mines of Moria with Legolas! Sorry I haven't been updating- been busy.**

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The Mines were unnaturally silent. Gimli seemed sure that his dwarf kin would come to welcome us, but as Gandalf led us farther into the Mines, I became more unsure. Tauriel's horse seemed skittish and I was worried. The horse could sense something I could not. I didn't know what to do with the eighteen lash marks, either. Nothing I could do would reflect on Tauriel. Herbs could cure the horse's injuries, but it would not transfer to Tauriel. I needed the bandages for any other injuries that the Company got. Despite Elen Dome being my only connection to Tauriel, I would probably sacrifice the horse if it meant one of the hobbits would live. I would part with the horse only as a last resort. If Tauriel returned and found that her horse was dead, who knows what she would think about me then?

"Where is everybody?" Pippin asked. Gandalf's eyes were narrowed. I stumbled over something and heard it crunch beneath my boot. I lifted it up. By the light of Gandalf's staff, I saw the skull of a dead dwarf, now shattered.

"We must get out!" Aragorn said urgently. "Something has happened here. We return to Caradhras." I agreed silently with the Ranger. I had seen the arrows before a long time ago, before I assisted the dwarves on the Lonely Mountain. They were the arrows of goblins. I guessed that they were lurking deep inside the Mines, waiting to kill anything that moves. Suddenly, I heard a crumbling noise and the squid smashed our exit. Immediately we were in complete and absolute darkness. Then Gandalf relit his staff and it became the only light in a very dark place. I laid an arrow on my bow.

We camped in a room with a well. I was checking all possible exits when I heard a great crashing noise coming from where Pippin was sitting with his back against a well. A skeleton was falling into the well, making echoing noises as it went down. We all glared at the foolish hobbit. Now we were surely going to be killed. I only had three dozen arrows and my knives. Aragorn had a sword. Gandalf had his staff and Boromir had a sword, too. Frodo had Bilbo's old sword, Sting.

"Fool of a Took!" Gandalf exclaimed. I listened. Something was stirring far below us, something that had been asleep a long time. I knew that the dwarves had been dead for a very long time. Most of their corpses were rotting and decaying. Then I heard the drums. It wasn't an echoing sound, more of a large heartbeat coming from deep within the Mines. It was an oddly sinister sound, even though drums were also used in music when I was in Mirkwood.

"We must get out of here." Boromir said urgently. I extended a hand to Merry, who was seated on the floor. I pulled him up and listened. A faint scratching noise was getting louder from the main hall. I motioned toward another door.

"We leave by that route." I told everyone. Gandalf nodded. I heard the familiar whistling of an arrow and heard it thud on the door. I examined it closely. It was a goblin arrow. Then the creatures came, all at once. I fired arrow after arrow, but eventually I pulled my knives out, too. Boromir was hacking away at the goblins. Gandalf was using both his sword and his staff, and Aragorn was using his Ranger's sword. The hobbits were stabbing with tiny daggers. I heard a distinct roar and immediately, I knew what it was.

"They have a cave troll!" Boromir exclaimed, voicing my observation.

With a roar, it crashed through. The taller people of the company began to distract it, and Gimli was hacking away at it. Its hide was very thick, but I knew there was one way to kill it, along with most other living creatures. Shoot it through the brain. As I was processing this, the cave troll took a swipe at me and I went flying. We were all distract when it grabbed one of the dead goblin's spears and shot it at Frodo.

* * *

My heart plummeted at the sight of the slouched hobbit. Merry and Pippin shouted with rage and began to stab the troll with their knives. I knew they would feel like little needles to the troll, and it would only irritate him further. I scrambled up on the troll's chains and balanced precariously up on his head. I drew three of my arrows and shot the troll through the brain. I leaped off of it as it crashed to the ground. I rushed over to Frodo. Sam was cradling the dead hobbit's head in his lap, and tears were running down his face. I felt a stab of grief shoot through my heart. Our quest was failed. I knew I had failed the little master just as I had failed my best friend. But then Frodo coughed and sat up.

"There is more to this hobbit than meets the eye." Gandalf said. Frodo nodded and revealed his shirt of Mithril armor. I gasped. Mithril was a precious metal that could not be pierced. If Frodo kept it, then he was safe from all injuries to the torso. How ironic. The only spot that Tauriel was injured on was her torso. The shirt would have done her more good than Frodo. But she had not died, and was not close to death.

I suddenly registered the utter silence of the tomb of Balin. The goblins had disappeared, and there was now a faint glowing light coming from the main hallway. Gandalf narrowed his eyes and I thought it seemed that he was staring past the doors of the tomb and beyond.

"This is nothing any of you could kill." he announced. "You must flee, as quickly as you can." I hauled Frodo up and led the way. "Go to the Bridge of Khazadum!" Gandalf called after us. Gimli took charge and led us to the stairs with no railings. I heard once again the hiss of arrows and I returned fire. We began the dash down the stairs. I was afraid that one of us, especially Frodo, would lose balance and fall. Without any railing, we could easily plummet to our deaths. The horse was very skittish as we began down the stairs.

"You cannot risk your life for a horse, Legolas." Aragorn said breathlessly as we ran down the stairs. I could feel the room getting warmer as some unknown beast pursued us. I clenched Elen Dome's reins even harder. I would not let Tauriel's horse die underground without any light or life surrounding it. I would not let it be killed by the goblins. The strain of the run was starting to tire the horse and blood ran down the whip marks, coloring the normally white horse blood red.

"I will not let her go!" I said, and I knew there was a double meaning laced into my words. Suddenly, a chuck of rock fell up ahead. The stairs broke and a piece fell into the chasm below us. I stumbled. The horse reared up. I passed the reins to Merry.

I jumped and made it. One by one, the company joined me until Aragorn, Frodo, and Elen Dome were left. Gimli's jump had broken of a chunk of the stair we were on and the jump was even greater than before. Then another rock fell, and the three were stranded on a wobbly section of stair. My heart clenched. Aragorn encouraged Frodo to lean forwards and backwards. The horse refused to listen. Elen Dome was panicked.

"Aragorn!" I called at last. He glanced up briefly, then returned to his balancing act. "Let go of the reins." He let go. I slowly drew an arrow. Merry stopped me with one hand, his large hobbit's eyes wide and surprised.

"You're shooting her?" he asked. I swallowed. It was the only way. I knew it. Everyone else knew it, too. The horse would have to die, or Frodo, the ring, and the future King of Gondor would perish in the Mines of Moria, all because of one horse. But I knew doing it would be like killing Tauriel herself. She loved Elen Dome. I shook his hand off and fired. The horse let out a scream of pain.

"Kick it off the edge." I said coldly to Frodo. The dark-haired hobbit hesitated. "Do it now!" He reached out with his foot and shoved the horse off the edge.

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**Sorry for the delay in posting. I wanted to do it right. Please vote on a sad or happy ending for Tauriel and Legolas.**


	8. Emptiness

**We're back with Tauriel now!**

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Tauriel woke, sweat mingling with blood, deep in the former castle of the Witch-King. Something felt different. Empty. A presence was absent that had always been there before. She tried to pinpoint what it was. She didn't recall missing anything. Her bow and arrows lay hidden in the catacombs, she knew. But there was still something missing. Slowly she sat up.

She was alone. For once, there was no guards or anything around her. The whip lashes stung her back. She saw that she was wearing a semi-white colored shirt. It was splattered with blood. Mostly the back was damaged. Tauriel could feel the eighteen harsh lines when she moved. She was robbed of the free-flowing elven grace that she had once carried herself with. Every time she moved, the lashes would open, weeping tears of red. The knife wound seemed to bear deeply into the small of her back. Tauriel stripped the white shirt off and twisted to fully examine her wounds.

It was so much worse than she thought. It looked like she had been used as a cutting board. The lashes had cut almost perfectly straight lines into her once flawless back. Tauriel knew she would never bear her back to anyone again. Not that she had, except to her mother and father, who were long dead. The knife wound was clean and dark. It seemed to have healed well. She knew little of healing, only how to draw poison from a wound using Athelas. Tauriel pulled the shirt back over her head and walked around the room, examining her surroundings. There were no windows. If she were to die, she would die without ever seeing the sun again. She shuddered at the thought. Elves loved nature, but the castle of Angmar was quite the opposite of what Tauriel had grown to love. It was the lush forest that she longed for, and Legolas's comforting touch and words.

The door slammed open. Tauriel whipped around.

"She-elf!" One-eye growled. "We have questions for you." Tauriel lifted her chin defiantly and raised her eyebrows. One-eye was flanked by Scar-face, her previous tormentors. Tauriel had seen them three times. The first time she was left with a knife wound. The second, whipped to prove their control over her. This was the third. Tauriel knew it was nearly impossible to escape injury when the two orcs arrived in her chamber. Scar-face drew a knife and shoved Tauriel against a pillar, holding it closely to her throat.

"Why were you carrying Frodo Baggins to Rivendell?" he demanded. Tauriel struggled against him, trying to give herself room. She was repulsed by the orc's nasty breath and smothering odor. He pinned her even tighter to the pillar.

"I wasn't." she choked out.

"You lie! We have our sources, she-elf, and we know who you were traveling with. The Ring-bearer." One-eye snarled. Scar-face pressed the knife against the white hollow of Tauriel's throat. "The master says that you were carrying him to the land of Elrond. Why?"

"We were carrying a message." Tauriel lied. Her clear blue eyes were dark and Scar-face searched them for lies. She swallowed. She knew she could not keep up the pretense for too long.

"What was the blond elf doing, then? Simply waiting for you to deliver this _message?" _One-eye interrupted. Tauriel realized her mistake at once. The Nazgul must have reported to their master as well, because she knew that the orcs would know nothing of the events that occurred at Rivendell.

"He was simply waiting to relieve my horse of her burden." Tauriel responded. "We had a long journey." Scar-face growled. He was sure that the elf was lying. She seemed to sure of herself, and the answers did not match up with the Nine's report.

"We know you're lying, she-elf. Perhaps you need a little incentive to tell us the names of where you came from and who you're working with." One-eye snarled. Tauriel closed her eyes. She knew it was going to happen, whether she gave them the answers or not. They would always find a way.

"You need a taste of your own medicine, elf." One-eye continued. Tauriel was too focused on Scar-face's menacing glare to notice One-eye slinging a bow off his shoulder and knocking it. Tauriel had been concentrating too hard on lying and not enough on defending herself.

One-eye took aim and fired. The arrow embedded itself in Tauriel's right wrist. She gasped. Scar-face grinned and let the elf slide to the floor. He left with One-eye, leaving Tauriel slumped on the ground, unaware that her horse had just suffered a wound in the same manner by her best friend.

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**I didn't know what wound to give her... is a wound in the wrist enough to effect her shooting? R&amp;R and remember to vote on a happy or sad ending!**


	9. Inside My Mind

**I decided that Gandalf's fall would be slightly repetitive if you've watched/read the Lord of the Rings, and I decided to move on for length and time purposes.**

**Ray Nicole- Am I including too much bad stuff? You commented in the review that they have been through too much. Thanks in advance.**

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We stumbled out onto the side of the mountain, the door to the Mines swinging shut behind us. Everyone was shell-shocked. It was even worse for me. I had just killed Tauriel's horse, Elen Dome, and I knew that if she ever returned, she would have a hard time finding it in her heart to forgive me. Gandalf had also fallen in the Mines. The hobbits seemed the most vulnerable at this point- Frodo seemed on the verge of collapse and the others were not far off. I stood looking out over the landscape and suddenly, I recalled something that had happened long ago, when Tauriel and I were only children.

_"Why are you so sad, Legolas?" The young redheaded elf asked. We were practicing archery together in the fields underneath the trees in Mirkwood. She was much better at it than I was, even though most didn't give her credit for her supreme accuracy._

_"My father has just said that my horse is unfit for our match now. He says he is going to kill it." I replied. Tauriel set down her bow and cocked her head at me. Her eyes were wide and sad looking, seemingly mirroring my own._

_"Why?" she inquired. "Your horse is a beautiful one. He is very intelligent, just like you. He has a fine spirit." I swallowed. My heart seemed heavy and at first I had a hard time thinking about why my father had ordered Syren to be killed._

_"He says that he is tainted by bad blood." I replied. Tauriel's eyes flashed with anger. _

_"Syren has fine markings and he has no bad blood. His father is a noble stallion and his mother is a gentle mare. Syren has never done anything bad to you, ever!" she protested. "I do not understand, Legolas, why your father has such prejudices against blood relations. There could be an evil man and a kind daughter."_

_"Blood carries personalities that are not suitable." I said, echoing my father's belief. "When Merwen betrayed Mirkwood long ago, his wife bore him a son in his absence. Naer later betrayed the kingdom just like his father did. Anyone that Naer's family will bear are traitors to the core."_

_"You aren't justified in saying that, _your highness." _Tauriel responded coldly. "My grandfather was Naer's son. I am Naer's great-granddaughter, and I will NEVER betray my people like them. I am nothing like Merwen or Naer, and you let blood speak for all who come after. I believed better of you."_

_"Tauriel, I'm sorry!" I said. I had not know that Tauriel was a Sylvan elf before that. Father never told me that my companion was a Sylvan elf, dangerous, cunning, and quick-witted. _

_"If my horse is ever killed because of anything but honor and sacrifice, I will kill whoever did it myself." Tauriel spat. "I'm sorry about your horse.'_

_Afterward, I had found a dark black horse, as dark as midnight, in the stable with what looked a lot like the braid Tauriel put in her hair weaved into its mane. Syren was gone, but in its place was Mori Val, and I had been certain that a Sylvan elf had just given me a gift that my father wouldn't even have done._

I remembered that day clearly. I had insulted Tauriel's lineage, but in turn, she had gifted me with my own bonded horse after Syren died. And 260 years later, I had repaid her by killing her horse with the intent of saving someone. After recalling that memory, I knew that Tauriel had high expectations, but if she knew that her horse had died for the sake of a young hobbit, she would forgive me. And I would give her a new horse.

* * *

I still felt as though my heart was sliced open when we arrived in the Lady Galadriel's elven home. It was a very nice place, and it somewhat reminded me of Mirkwood. Lorien was much more graceful, though. Mirkwood seemed more aggressive, even though I considered it my home. I hadn't been back there in years. The last time was when I was chasing after Tauriel after she left. My father had ordered the doors closed, but I had left because Tauriel had left.

"You mourn for something." Galadriel said, speaking inside my mind. "Something very precious to you, more than any amount of treasure. A jewel beyond all others. Its glow is buried beneath the hurt and the anger, much like a piece of gold is buried under gray rock."

"Yes." I replied in my mind. Galadriel had put to words what I could not. Tauriel was very precious to me. I would rather have her back than own the Arkenstone. "Do you know where they have taken her, my lady?"

"She is in a place you have seen, but never entered. A place you have heard of, but never listened to. A place you have felt, but never touched." Galadriel replied. A riddle. Sometimes I wished that my people could speak plainer.

"Thank you." I said instead of protesting. Anything would help my heart now. I had no way of knowing if Tauriel had died. No way of knowing if she had been too hurt to carry on much longer. I had no idea at all. It was now cloaked in mystery. She was gone from my sight, lingering just out of reach.

Galadriel seemed to speak to the others, and then we were led to a soft forest clearing to sleep. I donned a white robe and took a bath in the hot springs. The warm water relaxed my muscles and I almost felt at peace. But there was always darkness lurking in my mind. The thought of Tauriel was forever in the shadows. I could not relax completely until she was in my arms again, until I could smell her vanilla hair once more.

* * *

I did not sleep that night. I roamed the safe forests of Lorien instead. I breathed in the silence like it was a smell. It was intoxicating. There was no movement of any kind, just complete silence, rushing over me like a wave. It was hard to describe. I had always told Tauriel that my favorite smell was the night. She, in response, had said that her favorite smell was the damp earth after it rained.

If it was raining, the wetness on my cheek could have been a raindrop.

* * *

**AN: Sorry about the delay! I have a question for whoever knows the answer. Do elves eat food? **

**Whoever answers my question will be able to submit a name that they wish to be included in the story for the next chapter.**

**The title of this chapter comes from the lyric from the Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Thanks to him for the genius music.**


	10. Southpaw

**I think that Tauriel deserves another update. Even though we haven't been with Eowyn in a while, I don't really have any good plot elements for her yet.**

* * *

Tauriel knew she was getting weaker. She could feel the fire in her get weaker with every injury she sustained. She had lost too much blood. The whip wounds had healed, and she was left with silver lines on her back. It still ached at times, but the pain was becoming more bearable by each passing day. Any time she moved her wrist she could feel a bolt of fire shoot up her arm. Tauriel was beginning to lose her hope that someone would save her. There were no guards in the room, but there were also no windows. There was no way out, and no way of knowing how high up she was.

Tauriel grabbed a long stick from the ground. She weighed it in her right hand. Pain shot up it immediately as she tried to spin it. She switched to her left hand. It didn't feel right to her. She was a right handed elf, as most are. There were very few naturally left handed elves. The left handed elves were not generally used in the elven battle lines. There would be gaps.

There was a creaking noise and Tauriel spun around. She flicked the wooden stick into a dark corner of the room. She missed her target and it skidded so it was parallel to a wall.

"Tauriel?" a voice said skeptically. Tauriel moved so that the table was lying in between her and the newly arrived guest. "What are you doing here?" Tauriel's eyes roamed the new arrival. It was another elf.

"Nera?" Tauriel asked. The brunette elf smiled and nodded. "We thought you were dead. You disappeared during the battle of the five armies and we assumed you'd been killed." Nera shook her head.

"I was taken captive by a couple orcs and taken here. I've been here for sixty years, but there has never been any other elves here." Nera answered. "They asked me a couple questions about the Lonely Mountain and then left me alone. I eventually was able to pick the lock on the door a year ago. I've explored ever since. I don't think they've discovered that I've left my room yet. What are you doing here, Tauriel?"

"I was taking a hobbit to Rivendell." Tauriel replied. She was aware how awful she must have looked. She had tried to clean up her hair and her back with a bucket of water they left her every day, but it was difficult. Her hand was still streaked with blood. "The Nazgul caught me midway. Legolas took the hobbit to Rivendell."

"He didn't come after you?" Nera asked skeptically.

"I didn't expect him to." Tauriel answered.

"Anyway. We need to stop talking and get to work." Nera said finally. "I've arrived to spring you out." Tauriel raised her eyebrows. If Nera had been out for a year, why had she waited for Tauriel to escape? "Got any weapons?"

"I lost my bow and arrow." Tauriel replied sheepishly. "And I doubt that I could shoot it anyway."

"You're a fantastic shooter, Tauriel. I'm sure if we find it you'll do fine." Nera said confidently. Tauriel felt a little less sure. Obviously Nera hadn't noticed her wrist yet. Tauriel was still uncomfortable with her injuries.

"Do you know how to get weapons?" Tauriel asked.

"I've got your knives back, and I hid my own, so we've got them, at least." Nera answered. "I didn't find your bow and arrows." Tauriel nodded.

"What's the escape route?"

"We run down the stairs and through the front door as quickly as we can. We run to the stables and steal a horse and ride away as fast as possible." Nera said. Tauriel raised her eyebrows. That was not a good plan, in her opinion.

"That's just asking to be killed." she replied.

"I've scouted this whole place, Tauriel." Nera snapped. "There is only one way out, and that's the front door. The stables are around the corner from that."

"Where are the guards?" Tauriel continued. "What rotations do they have? Are there any weak points in the guards? Are they wearing armor?"

"Calm down, Tauriel. It's not going to be that hard." Nera said confidently. "I know that night is the worst time. They can see better at night, and besides, we're going to do it so quickly that they don't even know we're gone until we're off in the distance."

"We're not going to barge through the guards." Tauriel insisted. "It causes more trouble than we need. The trick is to do it when they're changing guards. Do you know when they do that? Would it be possible to slip through?"

"Tauriel, you have no idea when your guards are going to come back. They could arrive any second." Nera shot back. "We need to leave when we still have the element of surprise." She threw a bundle of green clothes at Tauriel. "They're yours. Put them on."

* * *

Tauriel felt better in her old clothes. They were soft and velvety, and they felt more like her. The thought of bursting through the doors and attacking at random still bothered Tauriel, and she knew that Nera was not very aware of the consequences if they were caught. They could both be tortured or killed. Tauriel would have preferred being killed. She would rather die than give away information on Legolas's quest.

"Ready?" Nera asked.

"About as ready as I can get." Tauriel replied wryly.

They stepped out of Tauriel's room. She had been in there for so long that she blinked. The inner halls of Angmar were bending to fit the triangular shape that she had seen from a distance with Legolas. It was a network of weaving stairs, ending on the bottom, where the gates were closed. Nera searched every hall they went down. Tauriel's eyes caught a glimmer from a dark corner of the stairs on the fourth level. She went over to it.

"It's my bow." Tauriel said, surprised.

"Of course it is." Nera responded. Tauriel put a finger to her lips. Nera was being to casual, which was starting to make Tauriel nervous. They had been childhood friends for a long time, but now Nera seemed to have gone slightly odd while she was trapped in Angmar.

They tiptoed down to the main floor, where twelve guards stood at the gate. Tauriel assumed there would also be archers on the outside, too. Nera drew her knife and motioned Tauriel forward. Nera held up three fingers, and mouthed _'Three, two...' _

Tauriel launched herself out from behind a pillar and drew her knife in the same motion. Out of habit, she had drawn it with her right hand. It immediately protested. Tauriel tossed it fluidly into the air and caught it with her left hand. She felt the survival instinct kick in and she fought with the same grace that she had on the river long before that. Nera, too, was fighting, but her skills were no longer as sharp as they had been sixty years ago. She was floundering under the pressure of six of the guards, while Tauriel battled three of her six. Soon after, all the orcs were dead.

"I'm out of practice." Nera said breathlessly. "Ready to open the gate?" Tauriel nodded. They both turned to the two levers that would open the solid iron gate. Tauriel eyed it nervously. She could feel the muscle in her arms, but the right was at a severe disadvantage with the arrow through her wrist. It had severed some nerves and Tauriel struggled to move her ring finger. Tauriel stood under the lever and waited for Nera.

"Ready?" Nera asked. Tauriel nodded, her eyes fixed on the lever. "Go!" Tauriel leaped. She caught the lever, her arms stopping her downward motion with a sharp jerk that made her gasp in pain as her wrist was jarred. The door creaked open.

* * *

Nera dashed out the door, not even bothering to see if Tauriel was following behind her. The redheaded elf had paused at one of the dead orcs and donned its armor and helmet. Tauriel tucked her long red hair up into the metal cap. She followed after Nera quickly, pretending that she was chasing Nera down.

Too late, Tauriel heard the whistling of an arrow and she instinctively ducked. It went over her head and immbedded itself in Nera's brain. Tauriel choked back a scream as her friend slipped to the rocky ground. Blood was oozing out of the wound. Tauriel felt a wave of nausea wash over her. She swallowed the bile rising in her throat and scooped Nera back up. She trotted quickly to the stables and dumped Nera unceremoniously to the straw.

"Nera!" she gasped. She took the helmet off and leaned over her friend. Nera didn't stir. Tauriel blinked back tears and stood back up. She located a brown horse and saddled it, pulling herself up and over the saddle with her left hand. She took one glance back at Nera and then rode away, behind rocks and out of sight of the archers that had killed her friend.

* * *

**Sorry for the delay! Thanks for the answers on the food thing- I realize now that the elves in Rivendell did eat salad and stuff.**


	11. Buried Grief

**AN: This story is now classified under the Lord of the Rings after communicating with one of my readers. Tauriel's name will not appear in the filter anymore, so if you're a guest and looking for it, I apologize in advance for the sudden switch.**

* * *

The Lady Galadriel sent us away with our packs full and new, Lorien cloaks that camouflaged into our surroundings. The Fellowship boarded the boats and I cast a final, longing glance at the elven home of Lorien. Despite the painful memories that lingered there, I still loved the elvish touches that Lorien had. I twisted Tauriel's bracelet on my wrist. I had gained the habit of fiddling with it when I was nervous.

"Legolas?" Aragorn asked. "You seem sad, my friend." I shrugged. I fingered the braid. It was still flawlessly entwined, without any signs of fraying or falling apart. Tauriel's enchantments had endured much.

"It may seem that way." I replied absentmindedly. Aragorn frowned at me. I gazed out over the smooth waters of the river and sighed. He obviously hadn't noticed my depression over Tauriel yet. I guessed that he knew that Tauriel was missing, but I was't sure where he thought she was.

"What is on your mind, Legolas?" Aragorn prodded. "I know something is bothering you. I would have thought you would have enjoyed visiting your kin." I nodded. I mulled my answer over slowly before I spoke a few, well chosen words.

"I was just thinking of Tauriel." I answered. Aragorn's eyebrows raised.

"I thought you might be." he said. "You haven't spoken very much, and I know she is your best friend." I fingered the delicate handles of one of my knives and swallowed. She is my best friend. But now I wasn't sure if she was still alive or not. I wasn't even sure if she would forgive me for murdering her horse.

"I'm worried about her." I told him truthfully. "I'm not sure where she is or what she's doing. I don't even know if she's still alive."

"Where is she, Legolas? Perhaps you could somehow send a message to her and see if she's alright." Aragorn said. "I'm sure she'd reply to you as soon as she could." I shook my head. I continued rowing and sighed.

"Tauriel is somewhere dangerous and somewhere where she could be killed, Aragorn. That is why I am nervous for her." I said, my words catching in my throat. "She has been gone for quite some time now, and I'm beginning to wonder if she has been killed."

Aragorn's eyes widened in sudden understanding.

"She is missing." he said, his voice filled with regret. "Why have I not seen this before? Why have you kept this from me, Legolas? I thought you trusted me." I didn't know what to say after that. I did trust him. I just didn't want to burden him with the knowledge that I was pining for my lost friend.

"I do trust you, Aragorn. My relationship with Tauriel is very special to me. It felt too private to announce." I said finally. "She is like my sister." That was a lie. I wanted Tauriel to be my pledged, instead of lying to myself and pretending that we were nothing more than friends. I loved her. She was loyal, intelligent, and talented. She understood me like no one else. She would oppose me when she thought it was right to oppose me.

"I am sorry, my friend." Aragorn said, his head bent. I swallowed, looking out over the water once more. The river rippled as our boat cut through it, making a chain reaction of beautiful imperfections in the smooth, glass-like substance.

"Do you think she is alive?" I asked him, voicing one of my greatest fears.

"What does your heart tell you, Legolas?" Aragorn responded. I raised my chin to the sky and considered my answer.

"It tells me that she is not dead." I replied. "But it is not certain." Aragorn nodded.

* * *

We arrived on shore and I began to unload the boats. It felt nice to be back on solid ground after a two-hour boat trip down the river, and I had never been too comfortable with water. Elves prefer the soft, luscious ground under our feet and the trees above, not an endless chasm of water ready to cave in over our heads and drown us. The others (mainly the dwarf, Gimli) staggered around like drunken fools when they got out of the boats. I found their sense of balance entertaining. We settled down and I sat upon a log, once again twisting Tauriel's gift around my wrist. I investigated the clasp that she had chosen to tie it with.

Tauriel had always worn a flower necklace around her neck. At times it was hidden by her corset or soft velvet shirts, but the chain was always there, ever present. Once I asked her what it was, and she told me that her parents had given it to her when she was a young elf before they died. It was made of beautiful silver, with a delicate flower set in between a twig design. The flower had appeared to be made of the white starlight gems. And it was now mine. Suddenly I understood the gravity of this gift. Tauriel was trusting me with her parent's love and care, and she was also trusting me to take care of a treasure of her own- her hair. She knew I admired it and she never let anyone touch it, and she only cut it when it became too long to handle.

I was surprised that the delicate little jewel could last so long, but I remembered, too, the charm she had put on it before I left her in Bree.

"He's gone!" Gimli exclaimed. I stood up, looking wildly around. Frodo was gone. I counted our number. Seven. Boromir had disappeared, too. The three other hobbits sprang to their feet and Aragorn looked nervous.

"We'll go after them." Aragorn announced. I drew my bow. There was something lurking around in the forest. I didn't want to enter that place. I was afraid that there was a monster of some dangerous sort in there, and I did not want to risk the other hobbits. Frodo was the most important of them all. I charged into the woods and began tracking Frodo's movements.

* * *

The hobbits ran on ahead and I followed Aragorn, who was studying Boromir and Frodo's tracks. It led to a ruin with a wide platform at the top. I could see no one there. Just as we were about to leave, an orc jumped on Aragorn's back and he jerked back. I quickly knocked an arrow and let it fly. The orc fell off Aragorn with a thump as he landed on the ground. I sensed movement behind me and wheeled around, just in time to meet an orc. I whirled and lashed out at the creatures.

It took quite some time to kill all the creatures that we were ambushed by. When there were only about ten orcs left, I heard a horn wildly blowing in the distance. Aragorn looked startled, and he seemed as though he recognized the sound.

"It's Boromir!" he shouted. I finished off the orc I had been fighting and sprinted off into the woods, trusting that Aragorn and Gimli would be close behind.

We soon were close to where Boromir was fighting too many orcs. We were just in time to see a third arrow embed itself in Borormir's chest. Aragorn let out a sound of surprise. I stood there for a minute, trying to comprehend what had happened. Then I heard Merry or Pippin's scream, and that sound jolted me back into action once again.

I arrived to a clearing, empty except for Boromir's blood body. There was no sign of the hobbits and none of the orcs that had taken them, either. While Aragorn tended to Boromir's wounds, I scanned the trees for any sign of an ambush. The forest was oddly quiet. No birds sang in the trees, and there were no animals to be seen. I didn't like how unnaturally quiet it seemed. I had never felt so uncomfortable with my surroundings, even in the Mines of Moria. Aragorn set Boromir's head onto a tree root and looked up at Gimli and I.

"He's dead." he said in a choked-up sounding voice. Something odd stirred in my heart and my mind immediately flew back to Tauriel. Would I ever pronounce her death, just as Aragorn had told us of Boromir's? Could I do it without screaming my pain to the world? Somehow, I didn't think I could. The thought of never seeing my redheaded friend was unbearable, and the grief would be too overwhelming to comprehend.

* * *

We laid Boromir's body in one of our boats. There was no sign of Sam or Frodo, and Merry and Pippin were gone. It was now only Aragorn, Gimli and I in the Fellowship. We were now the largest part of the original group of nine companions. I watched Boromir's body in silence. If Tauriel had died before now, would she have gotten a proper send of like Boromir? I thought that the orcs would probably maul her flesh until there was nothing left, and then throw the body into a fire and let her broken essence drift up to the elves of the past. It hurt a little less knowing that if she was dead, she would become a constellation in the sky, and she would be in the shimmering splendor that she deserved, instead of being in a pit of filth with the orcs.

"We must go after them." I heard myself say. "I will not abandon them unless they are dead." Would I really? I hardly knew Merry and Pippin. They were kind, caring hobbits that loved their adventure, but I knew almost nothing about them. Tauriel was my best friend and we had been partners in war for a very long time. And yet, I had left her to the brutality of the orcs without even putting it to debate. Why was I offering to chase two reckless hobbits to the ends of the earth if I hadn't even tried to save my best friend?

I then realized the answer. Tauriel would never forgive me if I let those two hobbits die, while saving her instead. She would rather have died than two innocent halflings killed in her place. I knew what she would have said.

_"There has to be beauty in this world, Legolas, born of innocence and purity, not of war and ugliness."_

* * *

**Sorry for the delay! And here we are, at the end of the Fellowship movies. I realize that I breezed through the first book very quickly. The second book may drag a bit and stuff, because I'll have Eowyn thrown in there, too. Fellowship was just the exposition (scene setter) for the two next ones, which are the more plot-rich for Legolas and Tauriel. **

**If you want to see a picture of the clasp on Legolas's bracelet, Google 'Tauriel's necklace' and then press images. It's very beautiful and I can't do it justice in words. **

**I will post Two Towers in a separate story titled 'Whirlwind'.**


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